Programming in groups: developing industry-facing software development skills in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum
Article
Jones, M. and Megeney, A. 2020. Programming in groups: developing industry-facing software development skills in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum. MSOR Connections. 18 (2), pp. 18-24. https://doi.org/10.21100/msor.v18i2.1087
Type | Article |
---|---|
Title | Programming in groups: developing industry-facing software development skills in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum |
Authors | Jones, M. and Megeney, A. |
Abstract | Programming is increasingly becoming an expected graduate skill for mathematics students. We argue in this article that programming should be given the same priority as any other graduate skill. Given the practical and philosophical constraints placed on undergraduate mathematics curricula, however, we acknowledge the difficulty in introducing, in a meaningful way, many of the core ideas of programming. We therefore present a case study of a second year course on an undergraduate mathematics programme that introduces Object Oriented Programming and aspects of software design, as well as key practical skill such as version control. We will argue that group assessment in this context is a more natural setting for students to be working and reflects more closely the experience of programming in industry; furthermore, it serves as a convenient platform to introduce students to aspects of software design and practical programming considerations. We will present an example of the type of assessment that can be used and how Version Control Systems like Git can be used to give students a more realistic experience of programming with the advantage of allowing tutors and other group members to track student work. |
Keywords | Programming; Group assessment; Employability; Graduate Skills |
Publisher | University of Greenwich |
Journal | MSOR Connections |
ISSN | 1473-4869 |
Electronic | 2051-4220 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 09 Jul 2020 |
09 Jul 2020 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 12 May 2020 |
Accepted | 07 May 2020 |
Output status | Published |
Publisher's version | File Access Level Open |
Copyright Statement | The copyright of articles will remain with the author(s). |
MSOR Connections Open Access Policy: This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. | |
Additional information | Special issue on programming in the undergraduate mathematics curriculum |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.21100/msor.v18i2.1087 |
Language | English |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/88ywv
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